The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday admitted former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to bail in the sum of N200 million over alleged corruption charges, but directed that he remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission pending the fulfilment of stringent conditions.
Delivering the ruling, trial judge, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, held that the defendant must provide two sureties in like sum, describing the bail terms as “strict and extensive.”
The court further ruled that the former governor would not be released until all conditions attached to the bail are fully satisfied.
Among the requirements, the sureties are to deposit their international passports with the court. One of them must be a serving civil servant not below Grade Level 15, while the other must be a recognised traditional ruler.
In addition, El-Rufai was barred from making public statements relating to the case and was ordered to attend all court proceedings without fail.
Counsel to the defendant, Ubong Akpan, declined comments after the hearing.
However, the ex-governor’s son, Bello El-Rufai, confirmed that bail had been granted.
Also reacting, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Hayatudeen Makarfi, said the conditions attached to the bail were far-reaching, involving financial obligations, landed property, and a traditional ruler as surety.
He stressed that compliance with the conditions remains a prerequisite for the former governor’s release.
Earlier proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court in a related matter suffered a setback after Justice Darius Khobo adjourned ruling on El-Rufai’s bail application to April 21, 2026, citing his inability to deliver the decision as scheduled.
El-Rufai was initially arraigned on March 18, 2026, alongside the Managing Director of TMDK Terminal Limited, Amadu Sule, on allegations bordering on abuse of office, fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
However, the prosecution later amended the charges, removing Sule from the case and proceeding solely against the former governor.
Akpan attributed the adjournment at the state court to unforeseen circumstances, noting that the presiding judge was bereaved.
He also accused the ICPC of pursuing multiple legal actions against his client, with cases now running concurrently at both the state and federal levels.
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Following the state court session, El-Rufai was moved to the Federal High Court, where he was arraigned on a separate 10-count charge before Justice Aikawa, underscoring the intensifying legal challenges confronting the former governor.
